/change

/change <intent | existing-change> [--prototype-selection <path>]

/change turns intent into the durable agreement that every later phase reads. The agent writes one compact semantic draft; Change Loop generates the bookkeeping and installs the result transactionally.

The semantic draft

The required core is deliberately small:

{
  "version": 3,
  "intent": "Prevent orphaned rows from blocking mutations",
  "impact": "medium",
  "coupling": "isolated",
  "requirements": [{
    "key": "orphan-row-does-not-lock",
    "capability": "mutation-control",
    "operation": "added",
    "scenario": "An orphaned phase row exists",
    "outcome": "Unrelated mutations remain available"
  }],
  "tasks": [{
    "key": "filter-orphan-rows",
    "outcome": "Exclude orphaned rows from active locks",
    "covers": ["orphan-row-does-not-lock"],
    "paths": ["src/**"],
    "verify": "npm test"
  }],
  "evidence": {
    "orphan-row-does-not-lock": { "capabilities": ["test"] }
  }
}

The agent uses meaningful keys. The compiler creates stable claim/task IDs, spec-to-claim-to-task-to-provider links, classification, and versioned defaults. It reports every independent draft problem together, pointing back to the input field. A failed compile leaves no partial change.

Print the current schema with change start --template; start with change start <draft.json> --consume-draft. Versions 1 and 2 remain supported for existing integrations.

Typed extensions

Add complexity only when the work needs it:

• multiple requirements with separate capability and operation values
• decisions for load-bearing choices
• Mermaid or referenced SVG/PNG diagrams
• prototypeSelection pointing at an existing selection note
• integrations with documentation source/version, linked requirements, and security/resilience/compatibility concerns; related scenarios explicitly use "kind": "success" and "kind": "failure"
• repositories for multi-repository scope
• external operations for permission-bound work
• Grounding v3 for non-derived material decisions

Prototype output is never proof. Missing or unversioned integration documentation is a research/user-decision boundary, not permission to guess. For MODIFIED, the compiler reads the canonical spec and merges its complete scenario set before adding or changing scenarios; REMOVED requires a migration consequence. A local diagram, prototype selection, or integration document must resolve to a regular file inside the project; directories and symlinks that escape it are refused. A remote integration source must use HTTPS and a fixed version rather than latest or a branch.

Conditional artifacts and source of truth

Rapid changes normally contain only proposal.md, tasks.md, and evidence.yaml. Standard changes add delta specs; design.md appears only for a load-bearing decision or architecture context. Execution, repository, handoff, and grounding files appear only for real overrides.

After compilation, openspec/changes/<id>/ is the source of truth. The draft is temporary and .foundation/ is derived runtime state.

Revising during Build

If Build discovers a new observable requirement, use one semantic amendment:

claude-foundation change amend <change> <amendment.json> --consume-amendment

It preserves completed tasks, custom prose, diagrams, and unrelated sections; adds stable links, increments the revision, validates, and rolls back on failure. An existing task may gain claim coverage, but replacing its outcome or verification command requires a new task. Legacy changes retain their compatible manual path.

A successful /change is already validated and isolated. Continue with claude-foundation advance <change> --through build.